Can you post a basic 2d drawing of what you're thinking of doing? Those sketchup 3d drawings are difficult for me to understand; I might not be the only one.

Is the present dining room an addition, then?

I will put a 2D drawing up, the 3D top view of the kitchen is what should match up closely other than the added perspective of the cabinets etc...

The present dining room is not an addition (there are no additions or planned additions either)

As promised here is a 2D layout of the proposed kitchen. Let me know if this helps. I am completely open to a totally different design/approach. The left side of the image is the dog run/fence (not the best view but oh well).

So your removing a sliding glass door and removing the wall the current fridge is on?what's on the other side of that wall now? Will you still have easy access to the back yard of you remove that slider? I think the flow could be improved seems very choppy. What if you keep slider with table on that side and concentrate kitchen in the other walls

Oh I see the old formal dining room. I'm going to keep thinking on this.

I'd probably exchange the sink and range 'cuz I would want my cook top closer to the fridge and pantry.

The sliding glass door is there for some unknown reason as there is no step when you walk out, it is about a 12" drop. There is a door to the dog run from the laundry room and even so the formal seating area will have large bifold style patio doors to make for a indoor/outdoor space with the pool just outside.

I was trying to avoid moving the sink since a) the plumbing is there and b) the window is there and I don't want to put the range in front of a window. My wife is opposed to the idea of a range on the kitchen island as well.

Here are some images of the layout and 3D from Ikea's planner. May provide a more realistic feel.

Do you think that the range is too far from the sink/fridge? It seems to be not an ideal "kitchen triangle" but not exceedingly far away.

Cabinets will be white with a light grey countertop and white walls. Not sure why Ikea's program shows white as grey.

My sketch is a hot mess but I'm not liking how things are inset on one wall (range) and sticking out further on the fridge wall. To level it out I would add the grey part into the laundry room so then you have a straight wall to work with. Hopefully some pros jump in on this to help you out

"... trying to avoid moving the sink since a) the plumbing is there..."

Do you have a basement? If so, moving or adding plumbing is usually relatively easy and inexpensive.

Dimension check....please provide the missing measurements (A, B, C, D) and verify the ones I have question marks on.

Could you also post a sketch of the entire floor? It doesn't have to be to-scale, but it should show all the doors an rooms/halls. It will help us see how the Kitchen relates to the entire floor as well as how traffic moves in, around, and through the Kitchen. E.g., where is your family entrance (usually a garage entrance) -- the entrance most used by your family and generally used to bring groceries into the home.

No basement here, slab foundation. Plumbing isn't the end of the world but the further I move it away the hard it becomes to get the required drop for water to flow properly. Im not opposed to moving the sink but it should be warranted. I kind of assumed that with such a large open window it made the most sense to leave the sink there.

A = 18"

B = 254"

C = ~48" not too sure, it is a standard hallway width with one side being open with a step down as indicated by the green strip.

D = 32" door width

123" is correct.

Here is a floor plan that is to scale.

Here are some images showing various views from inside the home (obviously with the 5th bedroom which is not shown in my plans but it is the old formal dining room that they enclosed).

View from corner near sliding glass door at the junction of the leftmost wall and the step down into the seating/dining area.

View of the dining area and current small bar area that will be removed. Some posts can be shown here but they will be either removed pending structural engineers approval or thinned down to just the post (a large empty volume is currently there behind the drywall).

View from sliding glass door going out to pool looking at the main entrance and the "5th" bedroom.

Thank you all for the help!

Elizabeth, I do like that idea. I will investigate. I do agree that the inset counter top is kind of a bummer.

So, a 100K-200K renovation, with all of the household disruption that goes along with that? Are you actually prepared for that type of budget and disruption? Or do you need to maybe live here a couple of years first and save up for a less ambitious redo?

Yes mama goose is right on. I think her plan flows much better then the original

I do agree let me mock that up and see how things look. I don't plan on having seating around the island but I believe this flows much better.

To respond to Sophie yes I am aware of the costs involved. I have some connections to get heavy discounts on tile/counterop slabs/flooring/appliances which should cut down on costs and plan to get some RTA cabinets.

Any one have good recommendations for RTA cabinets (wife wants plain shaker cabinet with clean/crisp lines in white)? From my limited research it seems that solid wood with an MDF insert is best as the MDF is more stable and will not leave hairline cracks at the seams over time, what are your thoughts?

Elizabeth B., I hadn't seen your plan when I posted--I see you have similar ideas!

Here is what it would look like. I think it is indeed better. Good ideas mamagoose and Elizabeth! I did not bring the wall forward from the laundry room but I suppose the cabinet behind the fridge could be full height and also serve as a small pantry/junk drawer. (no one is currently using the 4th bedroom and it would act as a guest room).

I'd get rid of the corner upper, and have the cabinet continue straight. It looks as if you'd have about the same reveal on each side of the window, which I think is one of those things that doesn't jump out at you, but is subconsciously pleasing to the eye.

Yes, I like the idea of a full height cabinet behind fridge and put a cabinet above fridge to finish it off. The tricky part is how to install the cabinet above the fridge? If you had a small pantry built in behind the fridge the fridge upper could hang off of it.

Elizabeth, the fridge will backup to a wall so I think putting in an upper cabinet would work. I am also looking at a built in fridge to get a cleaner look. I just couldnt get the room layout exactly on the Ikea planner as it does not support that room shape.

If you need more storage you could do uppers on each side of the range.

I don't have experience with many kitchens but we are about to install an ikea kitchen and have read many positive things from people who've had them installed for years so fingers crossed. My kitchen is a lot smaller and our budget was around 10k. I moved every major appliance which just in electrical work was $2600. Yikes. Are you trying to keep your floors they are beautiful?

O ok then that works. Yeah I would put the side panels around the fridge so it looks finished.

I just thought of this idea. What do you guys think of "option 3" I moved the fridge to the other side to create more prep space near the range and provide a separate landing spot for the fridge rather than the fridge and range sharing countertop space.

Elizabeth, the floors have to go as they look better in photos. In person they scream cheap. It is cheap laminate. I will also have bare spots where the wall will be removed that I have to fix up. I was planning on putting some tile in the kitchen area but may just do hardwood throughout the whole house. I have also heard that the ikea cabinets hold up rather well but it seems that they use quite a bit of MDF with a foil over it. I personally would prefer a wood face as that sees quite a bit of abuse and potential liquid spills (I am just at the beginning with a 3 year old and 1.5 year old).

Not all IKEA fronts are foiled; some styles are veneered/wood but those cost a bit more. There are suppliers who specialize in making wood fronts for IKEA cabs. If I wanted solid wood pieces for IKEA fronts and doors, I might buy one of all the needed sizes for doors/drawer fronts and take them to local cabinet makers for a price estimate or measure very carefully.

IKEA Thread from April:

My Ikea Kitchen - 11 Years Later

• http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4587257/my-ikea-kitchen-11-years-later

buehl I did see that it I was rather impressed but when I looked on Ikea's site for a bit I did not seem to find any cabinets with a solid wood face or even partial at that.

https://www.semihandmadedoors.com/ I read a lot of people use them for wood door fronts they work with ikea sizes.

I like option 3 better. Are you opposed to 40" cabinets?

I'd do all hardwood floors throughout to keep the space feeling open. Is it in budget to level the floors so there's not a step down?